Crash and Burn
by leannaBanana
Summary: Bella Swan is used to being forgotten. Edward Cullen will do anything to forget. The day that Edward runs a red light and crashes into Bella, both realize that some things are worth the pain. A/H. Rated M. Angst/Lemons.
1. Chapter 1 Crash Into Me

**Chapter 1: Crash Into Me**

**BPOV**

_Shit. Shit. Shit!_

"If I am late again, Alice is going to throw away all of my t-shirts and hoodies and replace them with grown up clothes. Come on, turn green!"

_Great. Talking to myself and a traffic light. I really need some coffee._

As soon as the light switched to green, I slammed down on the gas pedal a little harder than my old Chevy truck could probably stand, only to be stopped a block later at another red light.

_This is why I hate the city. Chicago pisses me off._

Before I could throw two middle fingers up to the sky, my cell phone rang, breaking me from my road rage.

"Alice, I am on my way. The traffic today is even worse than it was yesterday. Give me ten more minutes," I pleaded, hoping Alice would find it in her heart to understand my dilemma.

_"Bella, what am I going to do with you? This is the third time this week that you have been late! Do I need to threaten you with another closet raid?"_

"No! No. This is the last time. You know I am not a morning person. It's only been two weeks since I graduated college. It's hard for me to get used to this whole real job thing. Not everyone can be such a morning person."

_"Fine. I will cover for you, yet again. Only under one condition though."_ She spat at me but I could hear the smile in her voice. She was about to pull out the big guns.

"Go on," I sighed, no enthusiasm in my voice whatsoever.

_"This Saturday at Jasper's party, you have to let me doll you up however I desire, and you have to bring a date."_

_Dammit_. I could think of a thousand other things I would rather do than bring a date to Alice's long time crush's party, such as get buried alive or swallow a knife.

"Fine."

Before I hung up the phone, Alice's squeal of joy clamored through the phone and directly into my ear drum, causing a slight moment of deafness. As I threw my phone down on to the seat next to me, I eased my way into the intersection right as the light turned green only to suddenly get slammed by a silver car on the right front end of my truck.

It happened so quickly that I barely felt my head slam into the driver side window as everything faded to black in an instant.

**.**

"Isabella. Isabella. Can you hear me?"

I kept my eyes closed as I began to hear a voice calling my name. I had no idea what exactly had just happened, but it all finally came rushing back to me in an instant.

Traffic. Late. Road rage. Alice. Crash.

I suddenly opened my eyes and shot straight up from where I was currently laying, only to have strong hands grip onto my shoulders and lay me back down gently. I finally took the time to process where I was.

_An ambulance. Perfect._

I struggled against the person holding me down and roughly spoke, "I am fine. I need to get to work, now!"

As I looked to my left to give the asshole forcing me to lay on a damn gurney a threatening death glare, I instead gasped in shock at the sight before me. His green eyes looked pained as he seemed to be pleading with me to stay still and his disheveled bronze sex hair was messily arranged, falling across his forehead. His jaw was very pronounced and strong and his lips were set in a straight line as he continued to study my face.

I was forced out of my ogling by the paramedic on my right as he removed the beautiful mans hands from my shoulders and began to hit me with a shitload of questions about my name, birth date and hometown.

The ambulance finally came to a stop and the paramedics opened the back doors to pull me out and wheel me towards the hospital. I managed to pick my head up and look towards the ambulance one last time as I watched the gorgeous stranger exit the vehicle and simply watch as I was rushed into the emergency entrance.

As the sliding doors closed and I could no longer see the overwhelmingly gorgeous man, I was suddenly very well aware of the pain I felt in my head and neck. Once again, the blackness washed over me.

**.**

"Oh my gosh, could one of you make use of yourselves and bring Bella some water for when she wakes up! This room is absolutely freezing, and she only has one pillow! She needs two!"

As I awoke from what seemed like hours and hours of a very deep sleep, my head began to throb as I recognized Alice's hesitant shouting as she ordered around the nurses from the doorway to my room. I cleared my throat, hoping to snap her out of her control freak tendencies.

"Bella! How are you feeling? What exactly happened? Who hit you? Do you need anything?" She crossed the room in a flash and sat on the edge of my bed as she held my hand in hers looking deeply concerned. I would have laughed at her ability to go from bitch to motherly in .6 seconds if it weren't for the throbbing in my brain.

"My head hurts like hell, I was hit by a silver car that ran a red light, I have no clue who hit me, and I need to get the fuck out of this place."

I sat up slowly, ignoring the pain that shot through my head and down through my neck and gently removed the neck brace that had been strapped onto me in the ambulance. I reached for the IV and was about to pull it out of my arm when Alice lunged for my hands.

"No! Bella don't be crazy. The doctor is coming in soon to let us know what's going on. Just stick it out a little longer." Just as Alice calmed me down, a nurse came in with a glass of water and a pillow. Alice winked at me before turning to the nurse and snatching the items from her hands. The nurse rolled her eyes and stomped out of the room as Alice handed me the glass and began to fluff my pillow.

After an hour, and still no word from the doctor, Alice insisted on going to get me something to eat other than hospital cafeteria food. I was left alone, in my least favorite of places, as I clicked on the tiny TV in the corner of the room and began to enjoy an episode of the Golden Girls.

As I began to giggle at one of the scenes, I was startled by a deep laugh coming from the doorway. I turned my head quickly, causing me to moan out in pain as it became apparent that my neck injury may have actually required the neck brace I so intelligently removed. I slowly leaned back onto my pillows with my eyes closed tightly as I waited for the pain to subside.

When I opened my eyes, I saw from my peripheral vision, the same beautiful man from the ambulance sitting in the chair next to my bed with his head hung forward and his hands pulling at his hair, causing it to stick out into more of a mess than it was before. Me likey.

I let out a deep sigh as I could feel the pain in my neck dissipate. I then heard his voice for the first time.

"I am so sorry I startled you. This is all my fault. Do you need anything for the pain?"

His voice was so smooth yet so worried that it almost made me want to comfort him. I had no idea who he was or why he was here but I knew that I wanted him to stay.

"Uh...no, I'm fine. It's fine. Not your fault." I managed to choke out as I pulled my sheet up to my neck, suddenly wondering what the hell I looked like. My hair was more than likely a mess and I was wearing an ugly hospital gown. For the first time in my life, I actually wished Alice would have given me some kind of makeover as soon as she arrived here.

His lips rose into a half smirk as he ran his hand through his hair once again. He sat back down in the chair before speaking, "I'm Edward Cullen. You're probably wondering why the hell I keep hanging around, huh?"

I simply nodded as I chanted his name in my mind a few times, committing it to memory.

"Well, there's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it. I am the guy that hit you this morning. I have never had a speeding ticket nor have I been in a wreck prior to this. I was simply in a rush and made a huge mistake. I hope that you can forgive me, Bella. I feel so awful and if there is anything you need, I am here. I won't leave until I know you're okay. You're truck is totaled, and I have plenty of money to buy you a replacement vehicle. I have already spoken with hospital billing and I will be taking care of any medical expenses. More than anything, I just hope that you can forgive me."

As he finished his speech, clearly rehearsed I might add, he honestly looked...scared? As If I would actually be upset with him for making a mistake. To be completely honest, I decided to forgive him as soon as I heard him say my name. I wondered how he knew I went by Bella.

Once he began to run his hands through his hair, yet again, I decided I should probably say something to ease his anxiety.

"I forgive you. I'm alive, so there's really nothing to be upset about, right? I loved my truck, so that kind of blows that it is totaled but I was planning on getting a new car soon anyway. So, please, don't worry about it."

I watched his face change from nervous to shock in 3 seconds as his eyes widened in response to my words.

"You forgive me. Just like that? Are you sure you're feeling okay? Most people would be screaming in my face telling me to give them my insurance information and get the hell out of their lives." He smiled then, and I could have sworn my heart leapt out of my chest.

Anyone who would ever order _him_ out of their lives should seriously get their head examined.

I forced myself to ignore the beating of my heart and attempted to speak without sounding like a blubbering idiot. "Well, I'm really not like most people, so, it makes sense that I would have the opposite than normal response. Sorry."

He laughed heartily and it instantly made me smile as he leaned forward and spoke in a voice so low I almost shuddered with ecstasy, "I just crashed into you, and yet you're the one apologizing to me?"

I shrugged and smiled as I thought to myself, almost scaring me to the core, that part of me was actually glad he had hit me. Was it normal to be happy about something that killed people every single day? Probably not. All I could think of as he looked at me and smiled in return, was that I would hands down take being crashed into any day as long as I could be the one he was smiling at like that.

Fortunately, the doctor walked into the room before I could say something I would regret later. He probably shouldn't be informed of the extent of my feelings for him within the first five minutes of knowing him. Maybe not ever.

"Miss Swan, I am Dr. Banner. How are you feeling?" The doctor was old and balding and I could swear that there was some kind of green veggie piece stuck between his two front teeth, but I managed a small smile.

"I'm feeling fine. When can I leave, doc?"

"Well, Bella, you suffered a mild traumatic brain injury when your head hit the driver side window and the ligament in your spine was slightly stretched as well. You will need to take it easy for a while, get plenty of rest. There is a chance that the headaches you are experiencing could last up to three weeks and the soreness in your neck could last just as long. You need to wear the neck brace for a minimum of a week and take Ibuprofen as directed on the bottle. If you don't have any questions, you can go ahead and sign your discharge papers."

Before I could even think of any possible questions I had, Edward stood from the chair he was sitting in and began questioning the doctor at a rapid speed.

"Mild traumatic brain injury? So, a concussion, correct? What activities should she refrain from and for how long exactly? Do you think she should come back if the headaches don't subside soon? Is Ibuprofen the only pain reliever she can take or is there something stronger she could have for the pain? Does she need to be awakened every couple of hours to ensure nothing has gone wrong?"

Dr. Banner looked at me with wide eyes then back to Edward and answered each of his questions without hesitation. I rarely listened as I thought about how it felt to have someone taking care of me for a change. I was used to being the one taking care of everyone around me. My father was never around and my mother, Renee, was a bit out there.

By the time I was thirteen, I was cooking my own dinner each night and taking care of all of the household chores. I was always the one picking my mother up off her bathroom floor at 2:00 a.m. after she drank away the pain of yet another failed relationship.

Alice was the closest thing I had to family and I knew that she would take care of me, but I also knew that when it came down to it,_ I_ was _her_ rock. She had gone through much worse experiences in her life than I had, so I would never ask or expect her to bend over backwards for me. Though, I knew she would in a heartbeat.

Edward was a complete stranger. A complete stranger who happened to wreck his car into my truck. He owed me nothing, yet here he was, acting as if he owed me the world.

I was snapped out of my inner thoughts as Dr. Banner handed me a pen and the discharge papers. I signed them quickly and thanked him as he turned and left the room.

"Bella, do you need a ride home? I don't have a car, obviously, but I can get us a cab."

The way he said _us_ forced a grin across my face that I tried to hide as fast as I could.

"No, that's alright. My friend Alice should be back any time now. You don't need to worry about me, really."

His brows furrowed as he simply stared intently at me for a moment before picking up my tiny hand in his strong, large, long—

"This isn't me worrying about you, this is me doing what is right. I know you don't know me, Bella, but trust me, I do not deserve your forgiveness so easily. Let me help you. Let me make things better. I can't walk away from you without knowing I gave you something in return for what you have suffered."

I couldn't take my eyes off of our hands joined together because the feeling that was pulsing through my body the moment he touched me was still there. His words only intensified what I was feeling. So, I said the only thing I could think of.

"Okay."


	2. Chapter 2 Glimpse of Hope

**Chapter 2: Glimpse of Hope**

**EPOV**

While I waited as Bella called her friend Alice to inform her that she was leaving the hospital and wanted her to meet her at Bella's apartment with dinner, I replayed the day in my head.

_The buzzing of my cell phone woke me from one of the few full night sleeps I allowed myself to have._

"_Hello?" My voice was groggy and irritated as I answered._

"_Edward. You need to come to Aro's office in the city as soon as possible. He says that he needs to speak to all of us together. It's very important."_

_I quickly changed my tone of voice when I realized it was my mother on the other end of the phone._

"_Give me twenty minutes. Love you."_

"_Love you more."_

_I laid down my phone and rushed through my morning routine. Breakfast would just have to wait until I got back. It would probably only take an hour total to get to the office, sign the papers and then return home. If it weren't for the everyday chaotic traffic, it would be drastically less._

_I hated going to Aro's office because it was a harsh reminder that Emmett was gone. As if I didn't already think about it every second of every day. Being forced to sit in a fuck tiny room with our lawyer as my mother sat there with tears in her eyes and my father sat motionless with a blank stare upon his usually warm face, was my personal hell._

_A hell that I had been stuck in now for three months._

_I reached my exit from the freeway and into Chicago as the thought of Emmett's death consumed me. Before I even realized it, I had driven past the street I needed to turn on and was about to run a red light. I knew I was over the speed limit and I knew that I couldn't stop as I watched the old rusted truck roll into the intersection._

_The last thing I saw before everything went blank was Emmett's face._

_I was cut from my vehicle and put on a gurney where the paramedics looked me over and asked me about where I was hurting. I could feel no pain but the pain of knowing that I may have hurt someone else. One of the paramedics was telling me what a "lucky son-of-a-bitch" I was when I looked over to the ambulance next to mine and saw them putting a young woman inside._

_I quickly jumped off of my gurney and jogged over to apologize to this woman and ensure her that I would pay for any damage. The last thing I expected to see when I reached her was the most beautiful girl I had ever laid my eyes on._

_Everything around me suddenly slowed down as the chaos from the wreck seemed miles away. All I could see was her, and I knew I wouldn't be able to leave her side until I knew she was okay._

_I got into the ambulance after a few complaints from the paramedics, but nothing could sever the pull that this girl had on me. I knew I couldn't walk away._

"Edward?" I heard a tiny voice rip me from my thoughts as my eyes focused in on Bella. She was sitting in a wheel chair, though she stubbornly argued for at least fifteen minutes with the nurse that she didn't need it, looking at me with confusion on her face.

"Oh. Sorry, is the cab here?"

She nodded before letting a small smile grace her face. She reached for the wheels of the chair but I hurriedly grabbed on to the back handles and began pushing her through the sliding doors and out of the hospital.

As the cab made a stop in front of a double story building that looked almost as old as the city itself, I automatically thought that that the cab driver must have made a mistake. There is no way in hell Bella lives in this part of town.

My fear was confirmed as Bella pulled some cash out of her purse and began to hand it to the driver.

"No. I've got it, Bella." I ignored her eye roll as I handed the guy the cash and then jumped out of the vehicle to rush around and open her door for her. She was already slamming the door shut with a huge grin on her face, as if she had won some kind of game, as I reached her.

"Listen, this won't work if you don't actually let me do anything for you. I get it that you are independent or whatever, but I am trying to make up for the fact that I almost killed you." It wasn't intended to be funny, but all Bella did was giggle and I couldn't help but smile in return.

"Okay, I get it. If this is what you need to do in order to lose the guilt, that is completely unnecessary by the way, then I will stop resisting it. But the moment you start insisting on cutting up my steak or doing my laundry, you're done."

I put out my hand and she grasped it in response as I firmly said, "Deal," with a smile upon my face. I tried to ignore the fact that the moment our hands touched, I could feel a jolt of warmth rush through my body. If she felt it too, she hid it well.

I followed behind her as she made her way up the steps of the stoop and into the building. The inside was dark and the walls were cracked as I could hear loud music reverberating through the hallway. We walked up a flight of stairs and reached a dark green door with a metal "C" cut out nailed crookedly on to it.

She fumbled with her keys for a moment and I could feel sweat forming on my forehead as I anticipated what I would find behind the door. She shoved it open and as I stepped inside, I held back the gasp of shock in my throat.

It was so…her.

The room was small, too small, almost unacceptably so. The warmth, though, was overwhelming. The window on the far side was large and let in the perfect amount of light. The walls were a beige color and the dark hardwood floors were covered with light blue rugs. The whole left side wall was made of book shelves and it was entirely filled with books and picture frames. The tiny kitchen on the right hand side housed only a refrigerator, a stove and a sink with a tiny bit of counter space. She had a large chocolate brown leather sofa that looked as broken in as it could be, and a coffee table full of magazines. Separating the living space and her bedroom was a white wooden floor screen with blue flowers painted beautifully across it. Her bed was large and covered with a white down comforter. Her nightstand held a large light blue lamp and in the far corner was a clothing rack. The room was small, but it was decorated so great that the size was no longer relevant.

I heard her clear her throat as I realized I had just been staring her apartment down for a little longer than appropriate. I struggled to say something, "This place is…well, it's-"

"Small? I know, I just moved here a week and a half ago and I really needed a place close to my work that I could afford. I'm not finished decorating yet." She looked defeated, almost ashamed and I felt like a fucking asshole for letting her think I thought this place was anything less than great.

"No, no Bella. I love it. It's small, sure, but it's beautiful. You did all of this yourself?"

She immediately began to blush as she nodded before adding, "Well Alice helped me, of course, she is the one with the decorative eye. I'm glad you like it." She abruptly stopped speaking, as if she regretted what she had said, and changed the subject as quick as possible.

"The bathroom is behind that door right there, in case you were wondering. I am going to go change really quick. I'll be right back."

I acted as if I didn't notice her sudden change in demeanor and strolled over to the comfy looking couch and took a seat. Just as I was about to examine her magazine collection, a small girl with short black hair and shopping bags full of Italian smelling food, rushed through the front door.

She looked at me warily as she shouted, "Bella? Is there supposed to be a pretty, well dressed man sitting on your couch right now?"

I tried to hold back my laugh as she stared me down and slowly closed Bella's front door.

Just then, Bella walked around the corner of the room separator wearing a pair of jean shorts and a white tank top. I suddenly couldn't think about anything else as I took in the sight of her bare legs. The room was suddenly getting very hot.

"Shit, Alice, could you make him feel any more uncomfortable? This is Edward Cullen, the guy that…um."

"Almost killed you this morning? Wait a second. Did you say Edward _Cullen_?"

Her voice shrieked as she repeated my name and I was very well aware of Bella's confusion as she looked from Alice to me then back to Alice.

I stood from the couch and held out my hand to shake Alice's as I confirmed her question, "Yes, I am Edward Cullen. Nice to meet you, Alice."

She shook my hand slowly but it quickly sped up as she began to smile and shake it harder and harder. I didn't want to be rude so I allowed her to continue. Finally Bella broke the awkward silence.

"Alice, get a hold of yourself. What's going on here?"

Alice reluctantly let go of my hand as she turned to Bella and spoke as if I weren't actually in the room.

"For Pete's sake, Bella, doesn't the name _Cullen_ sound familiar to you yet? Maybe you recognize the name _Esme Cullen_, the fashion designer we have been doing a twelve page spread on at the magazine ever since you started here. You have helped me pull the outfits for the photo shoot next week."

Bella blushed as she looked shyly at me then back at Alice as recognition ignited her face. "So, this must be…her husband?"

Alice and I both began to laugh heartily as Bella put her hands on her hips and gave both of us a look of complete bewilderment. I couldn't help but laugh a few moments more before revealing the truth to Bella.

"She is absolutely not my wife, she is my mother." I smiled hoping she wouldn't feel too embarrassed but truthfully I loved when she blushed.

Sure enough, she blushed, more intensely this time, and then nodded in understanding.

"Not only that, but Edward here is one of the most eligible bachelors in Chicago and New York. I could have sworn I showed you his picture in last week's People magazine. Maybe I just thought I did. But he and his brother-"

Just then Alice halted her words and looked at me with guilt ridden eyes as she shook her head. "I am so sorry, Edward. I heard about what happened. I didn't mean to say anything about him."

I waved her off as I forced a smile, "Oh, no, don't worry about it. It's fine. Not your fault."

I looked to Bella who gave me a sad grin as I waited for her to ask what we were talking about, but she didn't. She shocked me by not asking who my brother was, or what had happened. She shocked me even more by changing the subject completely to dinner, and not treating me differently the rest of the night.

Once Alice had finished talking my ear off about everything she loved from my mother's new line for the fall and asking me everything I knew about Chicago's elite, she left and it was just me and Bella.

"How's your head and neck feeling?" I asked as she washed the dishes, which I had reluctantly allowed her to do without my help.

She shrugged her shoulders as she dried her hands on the towel hanging from the drawer below the sink and then reached up to remove her neck brace. I wanted to stop her, knowing she was supposed to wear it at all times, but I didn't want to annoy her.

"My neck is fine, but my head is hurting pretty bad. I should probably take some Ibuprofen before getting in the shower." She turned and faced where I was sitting on the couch and smiled before walking to the bathroom. I could tell that she was hurting, I was actually aware of it the entire time we had been eating, too.

She was obviously the kind of person who felt ashamed to show pain or admit she needed help, and it kind of broke my heart. I wanted so badly for her to let me help her. I wanted to save her from whatever it was she thought she had to hide. I knew, though, that I was too damaged to be the kind of person she needed. I was in no shape to assist Bella in her recovery, when I was barely capable of functioning throughout the day without crumbling inside of myself.

"Well, I'm going to get in the shower now and then head on to bed." I understood that she was trying to tell me to get the hell out, so I stood from the couch and walked over to where she was standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Bella, I am truly sorry about everything. I understand if you want me to stop coming around. I mean, I crash into you and then insist on hanging around to watch over you and all you probably want right now is for me to leave so you can return to your life."

She sighed as she looked up into my eyes. "What life? Honestly, Edward, you have been nicer to me than anyone has been in a really, really long time and you even almost killed me. That's saying something isn't it? All I have is Alice. I know no one in this city. I actually…feel better with you around."

She began to bite her lip and all I wanted to do was free it from her teeth before she drew blood and kiss the pain away. I quickly pushed that thought aside as I gently rubbed the back of my finger down her cheek and smiled.

"In that case, I'll see you tomorrow."

She grinned but instantly hid it as she nodded and walked me to the front door. I opened the door and walked into the hallway but stopped and turned to look at her one last time.

"Sweet dreams, Bella."

"Goodnight, Edward."

As I walked down the stairs of her building and out the front doors, I couldn't believe how much my life had changed in the moment when my car hit her truck. I knew the power that one split second could hold. I'd known ever since the day Emmett was taken in the blink of an eye. I never knew, though, that things could exceedingly change for the better; that good things could come from no where.

I waved down a cab and got into the back seat. As I was driven through downtown Chicago, towards the freeway, I noticed the neon lights of a liquor store up ahead, and for the first time in three months, I didn't want to stop. I didn't want to feel numb anymore, but I knew I needed to be.

"Sir, could you stop up here on the right? Thanks."

**A/N**

**Thanks, to those of you reading this. I am not new to FF but I am new to writing and how the whole FF writing process works. Like, how the hell do I get a beta? I truly need one of those. Anyway, stick with me. I can't promise it will be worth your while but I can promise lots of angst and lemony goodness. I know you like that.**


	3. Chapter 3 Sweet Charity

Thanks to those of you reading this little story of mine. It means the world to me.

I definitely need to show some love to my beta, _Luinvinial_. She's amazing.

Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. If _I_ did, well, I'd be able to pay off my credit cards.

**Chapter 3: Sweet Charity**

**BPOV**

_Hi! This is Renee _and Bella. _We can't get to the phone right now because we're busy doing something productive and meaningful… or we just don't like you. _Mom! _Leave us a message!_

I laughed as I listened to the old answering machine message at my house and realized how much I missed my mom. Though she wasn't ever much of a mother figure, she was a good friend, and I honestly worried about her now that I was across the country.

"Mom, you really need to change that message. It's a little old. Anyways, I wanted to let you know that I'm home from the hospital and am being taken care of by Alice and Ed-, I mean, Alice and Jasper. I'm feeling alright, and my boss gave me two weeks off with pay, so don't worry about me. I'll talk to you later. I miss you."

I hung up the phone, sat down on my bed and cursed at the fact that Alice insisted I didn't bring a television with me, telling me that only boring people needed one. Well, that'd describe me perfectly. I was bored and lonely, in perfect need of a romantic movie that I could escape in. Luckily, I had an endless collection of books on my wall.

I walked over to the shelves and tried to find a book I had yet to read, settling on one I'd started before but never finished. After reading the first paragraph of the first page five times over, I threw the book across the room and accepted the fact that I was simply unable to focus on reading at the moment.

I went to the bathroom and rummaged through my old collection of nail polish. I finally settled on a dark purple color and sat down on the toilet to begin. I'd only painted three toenails when I discovered I'd been dripping a puddle of purple all over my white carpet, and decidedly gave up on that idea as well.

Rather than search for another task that could occupy my Edward-filled mind, as I was failing miserably, I decided to just lie down and hopefully allow sleep to overtake me.

Three hours and 8,263 sheep later, I was out cold.

**.**

When I awoke the next morning, I reminded myself that I really needed to get some black curtains to put over the window so I could actually sleep _past_ 6:00 A.M. for a change.

As I sat up and stretched my arms high above my head, I heard humming and banging around in the kitchen.

I got up, tiptoed over to the room separator and peeked around it. I had to hold my hand over my mouth to suppress my laughter. Right before my eyes was one Edward Cullen donning a pink apron, pouring pancake mix into a pan.

I quickly slid my feet into my yellow fuzzy slippers and grabbed my purple University of Washington hoodie from the bedpost and threw it on over my head.

I was glad that Edward had decided to come around again, especially after I'd almost let my premature feelings for him slip the night before. What would he think if he knew that I was actually glad about our unfortunate accident because it made him feel guilty enough to want to help me out?

_Take it to the grave, Swan._

"Well, well, well. I never thought I'd see the day. The most eligible bachelor in Chicago _and_ New York is cooking _me _breakfast?" I smiled as I skipped into the kitchen and hopped up on the tiny counter space next to the stove. I immediately regretted it when a jolt of pain shot through my neck, but quickly masked my discomfort.

I could have sworn I saw the tiniest hint of pink spread across his cheeks as he quickly slipped off the apron and threw it at me.

"This? This isn't for you. I just really wanted some pancakes and didn't have any mix at home. I'll be leaving here soon." He winked and then continued to flip the hot cakes carefully.

I rolled my eyes and picked up one of the already finished flapjacks from the plate he was so flawlessly stacking them on, folded it over and greedily took a large bite. As I closed my eyes and slowly savored the fluffy piece of heaven, I couldn't control the tiny moan of gratification that came from my mouth.

I swallowed and quickly opened my eyes to find Edward staring at me with a shit-eating grin on his face. I wanted to cry, run away or attempt to burn him with the scolding hot pan, but decided to shrug and continue eating instead.

_Jeez, _I scolded myself._ Could you at least _act_ normal?_

"So, this home you speak of. Where is it? In some skyscraping penthouse overlooking all of Chicago?"

He finished stacking the last of his masterpiece before responding.

"Definitely not. I don't really enjoy the city as much as you might believe. I live up north in a small town on the lake. My parents have a place here, and I stay with them from time to time, but I much prefer the peace and quiet."

I wanted to give him a high five or more preferably, a lick to his face for being the first person I'd met in Chicago to admit to not enjoying the city. Chicago was great and all, but damn! The traffic and all those people I could surely do without.

"Yeah, I'm definitely a small town girl myself. I like the idea of being on time to work without the nuisance of traffic jams or guys who run red lights, you know?"

I slowly and surely to not injure my neck any further, eased myself off of the counter and grabbed the syrup from the cabinet above the sink.

"You're kind of funny," Edward spoke as he grabbed the plate of flapjacks and headed for the living space. He sat it on the coffee table and returned to grab two forks. I followed and we both sat down on the couch and began to dig in, all the while talking about our origins.

I told Edward about Forks, Washington and he told me about Seymour, Indiana, the small town he was born and raised in until the age of five, when his mother's fashion career took off and they moved to New York City. He mentioned his brother, Emmett, a couple of times, and explaining how they used to share a room. I'd already decided that it would be best to not ask about Emmett. Just by the way his body had frozen and his eyes had hardened when Alice mentioned his brother the day before, I knew something bad had happened and if he wanted to tell me, he would.

"Promise me one thing, Bella," Edward said suddenly, with a serious look on his face as I finished off the last of our breakfast. I nodded and gave him a questioning look, encouraging him to continue.

"From now on, lock your door. I honestly couldn't believe it this morning when I came in, and you hadn't heard a thing. This is a pretty shitty part of town. You can't trust people around here like you probably can in Forks."

I grinned and nodded my assent before picking up the plate and silverware and carrying them to the sink. When I walked back into the living room, Edward was flipping through a magazine holding back a laugh.

"How the hell do you read this shit? 'Ten Hairstyles That Make You Look Ten Years Younger'. I don't think a twenty year old should worry about that." He laughed as he laid the magazine back down on the table.

I gave him an evil glare as I walked over and snatched up all of the copies of _Allure_ magazine spread across the table. His eyes widened in shock as he began to apologize before I cut him off.

"Twenty-two, actually, and there are some great articles in these magazines. It may not be the most prestigious publication around, but it's a pretty decent place for a young writer to start out."

I shoved the magazines under the couch cushion, because frankly, I had no where else to hide them, and then sat down on top of them.

Edward held up his hands in defense as he panicked.

"I am so sorry! I didn't know you worked there. That's actually a very impressive job. You're a writer?"

I nodded and held back my smile at how nervous he looked.

_Am I really that scary?_

"Wow. Let me read one of your articles. If it's the hair one, it's, uh, well written and all, just kind of-"

"It's fine, Edward," I said, finally revealing my amusement by grinning. "I didn't write that one. In fact, I haven't written any of them. I just started last Monday and I'm not even a writer for the magazine. I'm just the assistant to the assistant of the Fashion Coordinator. Alice, of course, is the head assistant and she pulled some strings and got me the job.

I know absolutely nothing about fashion, as you can probably tell, but I figured it would be a good way to make some connections in the journalism world."

Edward nodded before pulling up the cushion from below me, and taking the magazines back out. He sat them on the coffee table and spread them out perfectly, before glancing up at me.

"Bella, don't ever be ashamed of what you do or who you are."

I felt like he'd hit the proverbial nail on the head without even knowing it. Shame was all I ever felt: Feeling ashamed to leave my mother alone in Forks, ashamed of taking a job that my English major friends called "a waste of time", ashamed to need Alice's help to start my career, ashamed to have a father that so easily left me alone with an unstable mother, ashamed to be sitting in front of a man too good for me, and ashamed for ever thinking that maybe if the wreck had never happened, he would still want to spend time with me.

"Bella?"

I snapped my head up as Edward's voice cut through my miserable thought. He smiled then and in that instant it looked as if he could see right through me, right to very center of my being, as if the shield I'd been holding up for so long was left completely defenseless against him. I felt for the first time in my life, that someone was truly seeing me.

It was almost painful when his cell phone rang, breaking his concentration from me.

"Hello?" he answered. "Okay, sure. I can do that. …What's this all about, anyway? Why is it so important that I see him?" Edward paused as the hushed voice on the line spoke his response.

"I understand, but can't we just worry about it later? When it's not so fresh?" He ran his fingers through his hair, frustration clear on his features.

"Okay. I will give him a call. Love you, too. Bye."

I felt bad to have sat by and listened to his entire conversation. I didn't want to impose in any way, but I couldn't help it. He looked so defeated and worn out. I had to stay.

"Is everything…okay, Edward?" My voice was tiny, almost a whisper. I began to wonder if he'd even heard me when he finally stood from the couch and reached out for my hand.

"Let's go somewhere. I need to get my mind off of…things. Want to go look for a new car?"

I noticed what he was doing. It was something I did often. He was masking his inner turmoil, trying to suppress his sadness with the veneer of nonchalance. I wanted so badly to reach into that deep, dark place inside of him and fill it with light.

I knew better, though. I wouldn't be the one to do it. I was just a distraction.

Edward took hold of my hand and began to lead me towards the front door. I pulled back with a laugh.

"Slow down there, buddy. I need to get dressed first."

"Oh shit! Right. Sorry." He smiled meekly as he let go of my hand and went to sit back down on the couch.

I grabbed the first thing I could find from the clothing rack that Alice had so graciously stocked full of "appropriate casual wear" to be worn in place of hoodies, sweat pants and tees.

I didn't wear dresses in my pre-Chicago-fashion magazine-Alice ruled life, but now, they were an everyday staple. It was a simple grey and pink dress with a bow at the waist. I hurriedly put on my strapless bra and the dress before stepping into my chucks, the only pair of shoes that Alice allowed me to keep from my former life.

I ran past Edward in the living room and slipped into the bathroom to brush my teeth, put on deodorant, and throw my hair into a messy ponytail. I added some mascara to my eyelashes and then reemerged.

When Edward looked up from his phone, his eyes widened, and then quickly blinked a few times before he settled on a smile and stood up from the couch. It looked like he was about to say something, but instead he ran his hand through his tousled hair and headed for the front door.

I almost asked if he wanted me to change, but decided against it. I grabbed my phone and my bag, regretfully put on my neck brace and followed him out the door. He was quiet during the entire trip to the front of the building and while we stood patiently waiting for a taxi to come along.

The silence was awkward and I was about to run back inside and check myself in the mirror again to make sure I hadn't grown an extra head or something equally bizarre, when he finally spoke.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?"

I didn't know how to react to his words or the way in which he said them. It was odd being asked something like that by someone so beautiful, so perfect.

Before my face could turn as pink as the bow on my dress, I saw a cab nearing us, and did what any normal girl would do in my exact situation. I ignored his question, brushed past him towards the street and yelled "Taxi!" at the top of my lungs.

As the yellow cab came to a screeching halt, I quickly opened the door and got inside. Edward may have gotten in. Then again, he may have not. All I could focus on at the moment was the rapid thumping of my heart and the vibrant beads dangling from the rearview mirror of the taxi. I figured the beads would be the only safe place to direct my stare at the moment.

"Where to?" the driver asked in a deep, Russian accent.

"Armitage Avenue to North Paulina. The Howard Orloff Volvo dealer. Thanks."

I quickly decided that acting like a thirteen-year-old girl was probably not the best way to go about things. I finally turned my whole body, because I couldn't twist my neck, towards him and acted as if the whole thing never happened.

"A Volvo. Is that what you had before? I only remember seeing the silver of the car, not the model."

I could tell that he was a little confused by my hot and cold behavior but he thankfully ignored it and answered my question. "Yep. I've gotten a new one every two years since I was sixteen. This will be my fifth. I wasn't due for another until next year."

"You get sick of a car after two years? I'm sorry, but that's just absurd. My truck was a '63 and it still had a little life left in it." Remembering my old truck, I pouted, at which Edward rolled his eyes and laughed out loud at.

"That thing was just begging to be totaled! I simply put it out of its misery. Besides, it's not like I get a new car every other year simply because I want to. I donate it afterwards to this car charity that my father told me about when I was eighteen. It's a cool way to give back."

He looked embarrassed as he spoke, as if he didn't really want to admit his charity. I couldn't help the smile that was glued to my face as I contemplated how in the hell someone like him could even exist, and to top it all off, be spending time with me.

Come to think of it, it made perfect sense, his spending time with me. He was obviously a very charitable person. Only, this time I was the person he was being charitable towards.

When we finally arrived to the car dealership, Edward paid the driver and we exited the car. As Edward closed the door, we could hear the driver turn up his stereo and blast techno music as he pulled away. We were both laughing hysterically when we walked through the front doors of the dealership.

"Mr. Cullen, how are you doing?" The man looked so familiar it sent a chill down my spine. I was about to chalk it down as mere coincidence, until he looked me square in the eyes. His eyes flickered in recognition.

The bile in my throat was almost too much to hold back as the man widened his eyes in astonishment as he exhaled deeply and whispered, "Bella."

**A/N**

**Who could it be? Shit may be about to hit the fan.**

**I'm writing this story as I go. I've never been much of an outline/plan ahead kind of girl. So, suggestions are absolutely welcome.**

**Hit that little review button down below. It makes me insanely happy!**


	4. Chapter 4 Sunshine and Darkness

If I could give each and every one of you who have read or reviewed this story the world's largest pancake, I surely would. You guys make me so darn happy.

Mucho gracias to _Luinvinial_ for beta'ing this chapter hella fast.

Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. I own absolutely nothing. Even the car I make monthly payments on is in my dad's name.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Sunshine and Darkness**

**EPOV**

_What in the fuck?_

As I looked frantically between Bella and my Volvo salesman as they stared at each other in an awkward silence, I didn't know whether to stick my size twelve up Jacob's ass or just throw Bella over my shoulder and leave.

I didn't like the way he was looking at her, but I did enjoy the look upon Bella's face: sheer disgust.

"Jake, what are you doing here, in Chicago? I thought you'd moved to Phoenix." Her voice was laced with apprehension and anger. I could feel my blood pressure rising by the milliseconds.

"I did… for about a month. Then I came here with Leah. We got a place together in the city. Bella, you look so different, so good. What happened to your neck? Still clumsy as ever I suppose." Jacob laughed at his own joke as Bella rolled her eyes and forced an obviously fake giggle. I wanted to punch someone, particularly the tall, muscled former salesman of mine examining Bella with his eyes.

The way he spoke, full of lust and familiarity, and the way in which he tried to compliment Bella was almost enough to make me explode.

_So good? _Try gorgeous, flawless, stunning. 'Good' was completely incor-fucking-rect.

I ran my hand through my hair, controlling the urge to pull it all out, and saw Bella's eyes flicker towards me then back to Jacob.

"Well, you look_ completely_ different. I almost didn't recognize you." She gripped her purse close to her chest, almost as if she were using it as a shield, before continuing. "Edward came to get his car. Let's not waste his time with this pointless conversation."

She then turned towards me, completely changing her demeanor, softening her face and speaking in her usual tone.

"I'll be outside waiting for you." She smiled at me, confirming that she was all right, and turned towards the front doors without giving Jacob a second glance.

"Wow. That was weird. I haven't seen her in four years. We used to have this thing going on. She was totally in love with me but I was young and wanted to explore other options. You of all people should understand that." He chuckled; completely unaware of my utter repugnance for the way he spoke about her.

I didn't laugh with him and I didn't smile. I could feel the pent up rage and guilt of the last three months building up inside of me, begging to be released. Jacob was the perfect person to take my fury out on.

He stared back at me in confusion and was about to speak up when I cut him off.

"Don't. Speak. Get out of my sight now, or you'll regret it." The venom in my voice alone was enough to make Jacob realize in an instant that I wasn't joking. He shrugged then quickly turned and began to walk away.

Before he reached the door to his office I hollered across the distance, forcing those who were not already listening in on our heated conversation to drop what they were doing and join the other onlookers.

"One last thing, _Jake_."

He stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned on his heels towards me. His brows were furrowed and his eyes looked black, filled with irritation.

"If you ever so much as _look_ at Bella again, I will ruin your fucking life. Got it?" I smiled smugly, and not waiting to hear or see his response, walked towards the owner of the dealership's office.

Once inside, I rushed through the process of buying the same exact car I always bought, only the most recent of the model, and paid Howard in full.

As I exited the front doors of the building, I immediately began searching for Bella. She wasn't sitting at the picnic tables over on the left of the building. I didn't see her walking around looking at any of the vehicles. I almost began to panic when I finally spotted the pink of her dress.

She was laying on her back in the grassy area to the right of the parking lot as the summer sun shone down on her. As I walked towards her, I could see that she had her eyes closed and was mouthing the words to the music blaring from the automotive repair garage behind the dealership.

I stood about ten feet away from her with an embarrassingly large smile plastered on my face, simply enjoying watching her in this element.

Suddenly she belted out the chorus of the song.

"I'm walkin' on sunshine, woh-oh! I'm walkin' on sunshine, woh-oh! I'm walkin' on sunshine, woh-oh! And don't it feel good? Hey!"

I tried as hard as I could, but simply couldn't hold back my laughter as it erupted from me, startling Bella who sat up quickly and turned to see who had caught her.

"Shit!" She yelped as she grabbed her neck and closed her eyes tightly as she tried to hide the pain that was caused by her quick movement. I hadn't noticed that she'd removed the neck brace.

I hurriedly made my way towards her and dropped to my knees next to her apologizing all the while. "God, I am a fucking idiot. I am so sorry, Bella! Are you alright?"

She continued to hold her neck as her face was twisting in pain. I frantically reached for my phone and was about to call an ambulance when she opened her eyes and began to laugh.

"Get a grip, Cullen. It didn't hurt _that_ bad. That's what you get for spying on my little concert."

I huffed out an aggravated breath and shook my head in dismay. She was giggling at my frustration and the sun was hitting her in a way that made her entire face light up. I could see hints of red in her dark brown hair and a few freckles became faintly visible across the bridge of her nose and on her cheeks.

I wanted to kiss her smiling lips. Kiss her into oblivion. Kiss her for the rest of my life.

The loud honking of a car behind us broke my concentration. I looked over my shoulder to see one of the guys who details new vehicles stepping out of my Volvo and walking towards us.

I helped Bella up, she grabbed her bag and neck brace, and we walked towards the vehicle. I thanked the guy and slipped him a tip before opening the passenger door for Bella. Her cheeks blushed as she slid into the seat.

As we drove away from the dealership, I was contemplating asking Bella about Jacob, when she brought him up.

"That guy in there, Jake, is a dick. I really hope you didn't buy your car from him and allow him any kind of commission."

I chuckled before shaking my head in objection. "Hell no, I didn't buy from him. How do you two know each other, anyway?" I tried not to sound too prying, but I'm sure it came across that way regardless.

She began to nervously play with the bow on the front of her dress. I almost told her to forget about it. She didn't have to tell me anything, but I'm a selfish fuck and I really wanted to know. So, I waited patiently for her to continue.

She let out a deep sigh, which caused the strand of hair that had fallen across her face to flutter. She tucked the hair behind her ear and then looked at me as she spoke.

"We dated in high school. His father, Billy, was like a father to me, the father that I never had. We were really good friends and he always wanted to be more, but I refused. He was such a flirt that I didn't want to be with someone I knew would be unable to commit. Long story short, we finally began to date through my freshman year of college and I came home one weekend to surprise him and found him making out with Leah at the diner in town. I ended it, and never saw him again. Until now, that is."

It took all my restraint to not turn the car around, return to the dealership and pummel his ass, but a part of me was glad that Bella had caught him in the act, making it possible for her to dump him and now be here, with me.

"Any guy that would do that to _you_, Bella, is a complete moron. For the rest of his life, losing you will be his biggest regret. You can do _so_ much better." I spoke as I watched the road carefully, knowing that if I looked at her right now I would probably stumble over my words.

From the corner of my eye, I could see that she was smiling. She mumbled a quick, "Thanks," before turning the music up and humming sweetly to every single song as we made our way back to her apartment.

We pulled in front of her building just as a cab was dropping off Alice. She saw us, waved then continued on inside. I put my car in park and turned the music down before turning towards Bella.

"Well, I guess you better spend some time with Alice. She probably hates me for stealing you away."

Bella smiled and shook her head as she spoke. "No! In fact she's excited that I've made at least one new friend here in Chicago. She never thought she'd see the day. It's funny, though, that I had to get into a car wreck in order to actually meet someone."

I grinned as our eyes met for the first time since wanting to kiss her in the grass at the dealership. That same feeling came rushing back to me as she bit her bottom lip. I instinctively licked my lips, wanting so badly to feel her mouth against mine, taste her, breathe her in, and touch her.

"Can I ask you a favor?" She suddenly said, pulling me from my inappropriate thoughts.

"Of course."

"I promised Alice that I would bring a date to our friend Jasper's party tomorrow night. I totally understand if you don't want to go, and it doesn't have to actually be a 'date', I just thought I'd ask you."

I was supposed to go to dinner with my parents, as we did every Saturday night, but there was no way in hell I was going to allow any other guy on the face of this earth to be her date to this party. I had no other choice but to accept.

"I will absolutely be your date. What time shall I pick you up?"

She looked shocked at my answer but quickly composed herself to tell me I needed to be at her apartment to pick her and Alice up at 9:00. That would give me a little time to visit with my parents beforehand.

"See you tomorrow, Bella."

"Kay," she responded as she grabbed her things, exited my car and quickly strode into her apartment building.

As I drove away, I chuckled to myself as I processed what had just happened. Bella Swan had just asked me on a date.

**.**

As much as I didn't want to give in to my subconscious' need for drunkenness, I knew it would be impossible to fight.

The silence in my large, empty house was so deafening that it usually kept me up all night. I recognized that tonight, like most others, would be a sleepless and monotonous one.

I picked up the shot glass filled with A.H. Hirsh Reserve Bourbon, my particularly favorite poison of choice, and downed it slowly, letting the burn spread through my throat and chest entirely. I welcomed this kind of torture. I found pleasure in the solace that a $300 bottle of Bourbon could provide.

My cell phone rang and I decided to answer it now before the whiskey took full affect. I looked at the screen and it read 'Aro'. I knew that this conversation would only fuel the fire inside of me, but answered anyway.

"Aro. I've been meaning to call you."

"_Meaning to call me and actually calling me are two completely different things. I have had some very important things to discuss with you, Edward. I would appreciate you allowing me to do my job next time and responding to me in a timely manner."_

I let out an angry snarl and squeezed my phone tightly before calming myself and continuing. "Yes, I understand. Please, go on."

"_Have you ever met and acquaintance of Emmett named Rosalie Hale?"_

I racked my brain quickly but the name didn't ring a bell. "No. Why?"

"_A document was recently sent to my office regarding a child that had been DNA tested and confirmed as the offspring of Emmett Cullen. I have tried to contact Ms. Hale but am unable to locate her. The thing is Edward, this child, a five year old girl, is living in a foster home in New York City. Without a mother, the father is the sole guardian. You being the power of attorney in Emmett's will gives you the right to custody of the child."_

I could barely comprehend what Aro was telling me as my entire body felt as if it were being suspended above ground, as if I were no longer in control of anything at all. I had no idea how to wrap my brain around the idea of Emmett having a little girl that our family had never known, a little piece of Emmett that was sitting in a dirty, lonely place somewhere in New York, thinking that her family didn't love her.

"_Edward, I know it's a lot to take in. I'm sorry. This is why I wanted to tell you in my office, with your parents present. By law, I am required to dispense this information to you. What do you want to do?"_

"I want to go fucking get her, of course. Where in the hell is she? What's the address? Do you have her name?"

I had so many questions and not enough answers. I wanted to get in my car this instant and drive through the night and rescue her from the hell she has been forced to endure. Emmett would have never allowed her to be in a foster home for one minute if he had known she existed. He couldn't have known.

"_Slow down, Edward. You can't do anything until you come in here and sign the paperwork that I will then have to fax to New York for approval. I am off tomorrow, but if you can make it in to my office somewhere around 9:00 A.M., I can meet you."_

"Yes. I'll be there. Thanks, Aro."

Everything was happening so fast. It felt as if my life had suddenly spun out of control. I was abruptly overcome with a sickness in my stomach that I couldn't stifle. I rushed to the bathroom and threw up violently into the toilet.

As I purged myself of pancakes and whiskey, the disbelief at how my day had gone from sunshine to darkness in a matter of hours consumed me.

That night, a dream filled with whimsical images of Bella smiling and singing in the sun was replaced by a nightmare of a hauntingly beautiful little girl sitting alone in the darkness of a cold room with tears falling from her eyes; Emmett's eyes.

**A/N**

**Go listen to "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina & the Waves right now. It will make you happier than shit.**

**Something that makes **_**me**_** happier than shit is when my lovely readers press that little review button down below. Just sayin'.**


	5. Chapter 5 Uninhibited Behavior

Thanks for the continued support of this story. I squeal/clap/jump up and down every single time I receive a review/alert/favorite e-mail in my inbox. My fiancé thinks I'm insane, but he just doesn't understand how remarkable you all are.

Thanks, as always, to _Luinvinial_. She's younger _and_ more talented than I, and I am lucky to have her.

Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. I own, you guessed it, zilch.

**Chapter 5: Uninhibited Behavior**

**BPOV**

I was awakened Saturday morning by the sunlight shining brightly through my bedroom window. For once, I didn't feel compelled to block the light out. Instead I welcomed it with a smile remembering the way Edward had looked at me the day before as we sat peacefully in the sun.

I could have sworn he was going to kiss me. I was no expert, believe me, but the timing was so perfect and the way he was concentrating on my face with such longing made me believe that perhaps he wanted it as much as I did.

We sat in his car in front of my apartment building, him licking his perfectly smooth, pink lips and his eyes studying my mouth. When he didn't make a move, I realized he was probably never going to. He just didn't see me that way.

I sat up slowly, trying my hardest not to disturb Alice, sleeping soundly beside me. She rarely was given the weekend off from work, always having a photo shoot or magazine event she had to attend, so I knew better than to accidentally wake her.

As I took my shower, I replayed in my head the conversation Alice and I had the night before.

"_Please tell me you are joking. He cooked you breakfast while you slept? Where can I find me one of those?" She joked as we sat on my living room floor eating carryout from the Chinese restaurant down the street._

_I giggled in response. _

_"He just feels bad for me, Alice. I mean he's this gorgeous, rich, nice, well-raised guy who happened to crash into me. He's trying to make up for it. It's no big deal."_

_She bit her lip, obviously hiding something from me. I of course took the bait._

"_Spit it out, Al. What are you not telling me?"_

_She rolled her eyes and leisurely continued chewing the bite of chicken lo mein she'd just stuffed her face with. I waited._

"_Okay, Bells, you don't understand how colossal it is that Edward Cullen is spending time with you! He's been through a lot in the past couple of months, things that you can't even imagine. He went from being the number one ladies man to being completely closed off and isolated from the outside world after his brother died back in April."_

_I put my hand up quickly and cut her off right there._

"_Don't! Don't tell me anything about it. I honestly don't want to hear it from anyone but him. I'm hoping that he'll be able to open up and tell me all about Emmett, but it needs to be on his own time."_

_She nodded in understanding and went back to eating. I sat and stared at my egg roll, suddenly not hungry, at all._

"_Alice? Just… how bad was it?"_

_I knew that Alice had probably heard all there is to know about the Cullen family, Allure being the gossip headquarters of Chicago. The fact that Edward's mother was a major fashion designer only made their private lives that much more difficult to hide._

_Alice looked me square in the eye, pain flashing behind her own eyes as she recalled all that she knew about Emmett's death. She spoke softly._

"'_Bad' doesn't even begin to describe it."_

I was startled from my thoughts when I heard the bathroom door being thrown open and Alice's voice reverberated on the tile.

"Bella, you can't actually be up this early on a Saturday! I know you're on medical leave from work and all, but _damn_. I need my sleep before this party tonight!"

I chuckled as I finished rinsing my hair of conditioner. Before I had time to react, Alice had reached her hand into the shower, turned the water as cold as possible and run out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her, laughing hysterically all the while.

The coldness immediately debilitated me as I jumped back with a scream, causing my foot to slip which sent me landing on my ass as the freezing cold water continued to pour on me.

I ignored the ache in my head, neck and now butt as I hastily crawled out of the shower, grabbed my towel from the rack and wrapped it around me. I only had one thought in mind: revenge.

I grabbed the shaving cream from under the sink and kept the water running in the shower, hoping it would help in my blindside attack. I quietly opened the door and peeked my head out. Alice was lying on my bed, already back to sleep… or so I hoped.

I tiptoed over to my bedroom and stood directly behind her. I slowly leaned in, holding the shaving cream as still as I could above her head.

I attempted to stifle my laughter, taking in a silent, deep breath, then pressed down on the lid of the can. Before Alice could react, her entire head of hair was covered in white foam.

She jumped up out of bed, and I hopped back a little, still spraying. Her eyes were filled with rage as she screamed a stream of profanities. She began chasing me around the apartment as I ran backwards drenching her and my belongings in shaving cream.

I was laughing so hard, I almost pissed myself, and Alice looked ridiculous as she tried to stay angry and control her laughter.

We were in the living space when the bottle finally ran out. I had a slight moment of panic as I realized that I had nothing else to fend her off with. I felt like I'd run out of ammunition in the midst of a battle. I was fucked.

"Didn't think that far ahead, huh?" She lunged at me, but before she could do any damage, there was a knock on the front door.

"Shit! I bet it's the neighbors. They're probably pissed. Hurry and hide!" I yelled as I ran as fast as I could to the room divider, and ducked behind it. I guffawed loudly as Alice, covered in shaving cream, hid behind the bathroom door.

Another knock echoed through the apartment.

Alice looked at me with wide eyes as we stood, in my own apartment, scared of the person on the other side of my locked door. That's when it hit me: I'd forgotten to lock it.

As if on cue, the door then opened, footsteps echoed, and then the door was shut. I could see Alice cringe in fear. I crouched down even further.

"Bella?" A voice called, and immediately I recognized who it was.

_Shit._

I pointed to Alice, telling her to talk to him as I was only in a towel, but she only rolled her eyes at me, and threw a pointed look at her shaving cream clad body. She then pointed at me, nominating me to talk to him. I blanched, knowing the humiliation this would bring, but not having much of a choice given the situation.

I stood begrudgingly and came out from behind the room divider.

Edward beamed with amusement as he cocked his head to the side and stared at me questioningly. His eyes were raking down my body, when his face quickly shot back up to my eyes, his cheeks red as he noticed my attire.

He coughed nervously then asked, "Why were you hiding? And what's with the shaving cream?"

I shrugged and glanced over his shoulder to see Alice and her shaving cream clad face pleading me to keep him distracted.

He saw me looking behind him and was about to turn to see what had my attention, when I decided to take one for the team. I reached forward, grabbed the collar of his grey t-shirt and yanked it towards me hard.

He looked stunned as I pulled him to me, stood on my tiptoes and leaned in to kiss him. His lips immediately met mine, the fervor behind them mind blowing. My knees went weak but he wrapped his arms around my waist just in time to keep me from falling.

I reached my arms around his neck as the kiss intensified. His tongue swept out across my ready lips that I opened willingly. He tasted, smelled, and felt so good. My senses were in overdrive.

Without thinking about it, I fisted my hands in his hair and tugged at it gently, only causing him to moan loudly and pull my in body closer to him. My tongue was frantic as it explored his warm mouth. I felt uninhibited and alive.

All too soon, Edward pulled away from the kiss. I opened my eyes to see that his were still closed and he wore a pained expression on his face. Right before he released my body from his hold, he spoke in a deep, gritty voice that sent chills down my spine.

"Bella, we have to stop now before I lose the last of my control. Please get dressed."

I stepped back slowly, feeling slightly rejected as Edward turned quickly away from me and headed for the couch. I looked to my right to see that Alice had snuck into the bathroom while I distracted Edward.

Because that's all I was doing: distracting Edward.

_Keep telling yourself that._

I slid into a white t-shirt and a pair of tattered jeans, throwing my hair into a pony before rejoining Edward in the living space.

"Your door was unlocked. Again." Edward gave me a crooked smile as he spoke.

I rolled my eyes as I sat down on the couch next to Edward, a little taken aback that he could completely ignore the fact that we'd just kissed. It didn't faze him at all.

"And look! I'm fine. Nothing happened."

He then stiffened as he shook his head in disagreement.

"It only takes one time. Just lock it. I'll be able to sleep better at night.

I wasn't sure if he was kidding or not, but his eyes certainly held no indication of humor as they pleaded with me. I simply nodded and then changed the subject.

"So, you showing up at my apartment early in the morning. Is this something I should come to expect every day?"

He shrugged with a grin on his face before answering.

"If you're going to kiss me like that every time I walk through the door, then you should definitely be expecting it."

I began to bite my lip, my nerves getting the better of me, as I tried to contain myself. I felt idiotic, pathetic almost. I had just kissed Edward Cullen. I kissed him. I had to be absolutely insane because there was no other way to explain my irrational behavior.

Suddenly, Edward brought his hand up to my face and gently removed my bottom lip from my torturous gnawing. He slowly rubbed the pad of his thumb across my no doubt reddened lip, causing me to release a soft moan.

I regretted it immediately.

Edward's hand stilled. His eyes met mine and widened in response to the near sex-like noise I'd made. Then the left side of his lip quirked into a smirk, by far the sexiest thing I'd ever seen. I wanted to take a picture of that crooked grin and have it tattooed on the inside of my eyelids so I would never forget it.

He ghosted his hand across my jaw and then down my neck. I involuntarily closed my eyes, the sensation of his hand on my skin almost too much to bear.

I could've sworn I heard him whisper something resembling "beautiful" but I pretended I didn't hear it. I opened my eyes slowly to find his piercing green eyes looking back at me with longing.

It was enough to make me believe that, if only for the moment, Edward truly felt as I did.

Alice chose that moment to bust out of the bathroom. Both Edward and I quickly sat up, pretending we weren't just about to go all 'rated R' on my couch.

Alice smiled as she pretended to look surprised that Edward was here.

"Edward! How are you? What brings you here so bright and early?"

He cleared his throat anxiously and stood from the couch.

"Sorry, Alice. I didn't know you were still here. I was just dropping by to check on Bella. You know, make sure she took her pain meds and all."

I wanted to flip him off for ruining the image I'd created in my head of him actually coming here to just spend time with me, and not to make sure I took my medicine.

_Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This guy is hella confusing!_

Alice nodded but stared at him fiercely, questioningly, no doubt scaring Edward. That look meant business, and she wasn't buying what he was selling. Neither was I.

"It's fine. You can come over whenever. I'm sure Bella agrees," Alice said with an evil smile playing on the edge of her lips. I quickly shot the "I'm going to kill you later" look at her, which she ignored as she continued into the living room.

Edward sat back down on the couch while Alice sat on the coffee table in front of us. I wasn't going to tell her about the little blob of shaving cream still hanging from her ear that she had missed when cleaning up. I decided she deserved it and laughed on the inside.

"I needed to discuss tonight with you, anyway," Alice added.

"Well, about tonight," Edward cut in, drawing the attention of both Alice and I. I panicked, knowing he was going to give some lame excuse to bail.

"I won't be able to make it. I have to fly to New York with my mother and help her pick up some things for a runway show she has this week here in Chicago. My father usually goes with her on these trips, but he has to work at the hospital tonight. I'm so sorry, Bella."

It made sense. He could be telling the truth, but I still felt totally rejected. I wanted to leave the room so he couldn't see the hurt on my face, but I did my best to mask it with a smile as I spoke.

"Don't worry about it. It's nice of you to help your mother. Maybe some other time."

I could tell that he knew I was hurt as I stood from the couch and headed to the kitchen to start breakfast. He followed right behind me, and Alice took it as her cue to leave us alone and headed to my room.

"Bella, I honestly hate to do this to you. I want to come. Believe me! There's nothing I want more than to accompany you to this party."

Edward waited for my response as I grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and the Lucky Charms from atop the refrigerator.

As I poured, I responded.

"Edward! Believe _me_. I totally understand. It's not like it was an actual date. So really, I have no right to be upset, and I'm not."

I heard him sigh in defeat as I took the milk from the fridge and poured way too much over my cereal. He held out a spoon for me so I would finally meet his gaze.

"Thanks," I said as I went to take it from his hand. He didn't let go.

We stood staring at each other for a moment, both with a hand on the spoon, both trying to say something with only our eyes, not wanting to put anything out in the open yet.

Finally he said what I needed to hear.

"There are so many fucked up things in my life that I want to tell you- that I want to explain to you- and I will, in time. Until then, just know that it means a lot to me to simply be around you. You make things… better."

I knew what it felt like to have so much emotional baggage, sometimes thinking and feeling as though things would never get better. I understood having a past that you didn't even want to acknowledge.

I knew all too well how hopeless he must feel, and I wanted to be the one to make it better for him because he certainly made it better for me. So, I did the only thing that I felt could describe my complete understanding.

I dropped the spoon and stepped forward to wrap my arms around his waist. I hid my face in his chest, breathing in his scent and savoring the moment.

His arms returned the favor engulfing me, and lavishing me in everything Edward.

**A/N**

**I know things have been moving slowly as it has only been three days since our favorite boy and girl have met. They both have a lot of shit that needs to be revealed and sorted out. Trust me; we will get to it all. Just enjoy the light fluffy moments while they last.**

**I will personally tattoo an image of Edward smirking on the eyelids of all who review. How can you resist **_**that**_**?**


	6. Chapter 6 Eyes to Heaven

Is everybody still with me? I sure hope so. I have five weeks left of my college career, so things are a little stressful. You guys are my only escape from the bullshit. Thank you.

A huge thanks to _Luinvinial_, of course, for beta'ing.

Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. I just like to dilly-daddle with her characters.

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**Chapter 6: Eyes to Heaven**

**EPOV**

Bella Swan just kissed me. She'd kissed me and it was the greatest thing I'd ever felt. I never knew a kiss could be like that, full of so much feeling and power, making you wish you were worthy of it all. As long as I live, I will never forget that kiss.

The happiness that only Bella's presence could bring me, quickly diminished as I pulled into the parking garage below the building that held my lawyer's firm. As I swiftly walked to the elevator, I tried not to imagine my own niece and the hell she could be going through miles away.

As I reached the 19th floor, the elevator doors opened slowly, revealing my mother and father sitting on the leather couch outside of Aro's office, waiting for me.

My mother jumped up as soon as she saw me, her tiny frame colliding with my body as she pulled me in for a hug. I could tell that she'd been crying. I could only imagine what she was feeling about our little girl.

My father nodded to me as he put his hand on my right shoulder, telling me so much with just his eyes.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, Edward. Let's talk in my office," Aro spoke as he walked towards us from the main offices of the firm. He was wearing his golfing attire, visor and all. I was grateful that he was willing to go out of his way to assist our family.

We all quietly followed Aro into his office, the view of the city and the sun shining through the large floor to ceiling windows along the far sidewall.

As we sat down, Aro organized the papers in a folder on the center of his large desk. That folder contained everything that was preventing me from going to New York and bringing Emmett's daughter home. I didn't understand the point of all of the paper work. She was our family. We wanted her, bottom line.

"Okay, I spoke with children services in New York City earlier this morning. They faxed over everything you need to sign in order to make this official. Edward, initial the bottom of each page and sign and date the very last one. Once that's done, I'll make copies for future reference, in case of any trouble we may have. Then you can go get Layla."

I stopped the pen where I held it on the paper and looked up to meet Aro's gaze. He smiled, understanding my stunned expression.

"Layla? Oh, that's just so adorable. I just can't believe this is all real." My mother spoke as she reached over and caressed my forearm. I smiled as I quickly finished signing the documents.

"Aro, when you spoke of there being possible trouble in the future, what did you mean?" my father suddenly asked as Aro walked over to the copier on the other side of the room.

"Mr. Cullen-" My father raised his eyebrow at the title. "Carlisle. The reality of the situation is that your family is very wealthy and very well known. Once this gets out to the public, the press will have a field day. We need to be ready for any family members on her mother's side or even her mother coming out of the woodwork suddenly wanting her. It's just a possibility, but please do not worry. I'll be ready to fight this in court if it ever comes up."

Aro grinned, reassuring all of us, and continued copying the documents before placing them back into the folder and handing them to me.

"The address is inside. Make sure to give this folder to the social worker. They will meet you at the social services building with Layla because they will want to observe and assess the meeting and make sure the transition goes smoothly. Call me if you have any questions. I am truly happy for you all."

We thanked Aro whole heartedly before leaving. My mother rode with me so that we could head to the airport and leave for New York right away. My father hated having to miss meeting Layla, but he had to give a symposium on cardiovascular health at the hospital that afternoon.

The flight was uneventful. I tried to rest since I didn't get much sleep the night before, but my mother wouldn't stop talking about all of the things we needed to buy for her bedroom and to make my house child-friendly. We decided we would let her pick out her own things, hoping it would warm her up to us.

I felt that maybe my parents were upset that Layla was, by law, in my care. I was sure that they didn't think I was fit to be a father. I wouldn't blame them at all. My mother could see the concern on my face as our NYC driver, Marcus, picked us up and began to head for the social services building.

"Edward, what's wrong? I can see that something's bothering you."

I shrugged as I adjusted the air conditioner on the ceiling of the car. I finally met her gaze and she had one eyebrow raised, knowing I was bull shitting her.

"Do you and dad think that I can do this? Do you think that I can raise a five year old girl?"

Her features softened as she gave me a small smile before reaching into her purse and pulling out a folded manila piece of construction paper.

"I brought this to show you in case you began to feel this way. You made it at school when you were ten." She handed me the paper and I opened it to reveal a drawing of my father, mother, Emmett and myself standing in front of a house. At the top it read, in the teacher's handwriting, "When I grow up I want to be…" Underneath that in blue marker I had written, "A dad."

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and quickly rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. I felt like such a pussy, 24 years old and about to cry in front of my mom, but I managed to hold myself together.

"You have a wonderful father and Emmett always looked out for you growing up. Those two men have given you great examples of what a father is. Despite all of that, though, you are such a giving, gentle soul. You may not know it, and you may not believe it, but Edward, everything happens for a reason. There is no one on this earth that Emmett would rather have taking care of his daughter in his absence.

"Your father and I are, of course, going to help you out as much as you want us to. But, you can do this, honey. It's one of the only things I have ever been absolutely sure of."

My mother's words tore down the walls I had worked so hard to build up around my heart after Emmett's death. I hadn't cried since the day I told him good-bye, but as I pulled my mother to me, engulfing her in a hug, tears began to fall down my cheeks. I sniffed quickly, wiping away the evidence with the sleeve of my t-shirt.

"Don't worry," my mother spoke through her laughter. "I won't tell anyone about the water works."

"I love you. And thanks, mom."

"I love you more."

As we sat in the waiting room of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, I couldn't control my nerves as I began to bounce my right leg anxiously like a drug addict that had gone a day without his fix.

My mother rested her hand momentarily on my knee and gave it a little squeeze. I stopped for a moment or two then began again. There was no use in trying. I was a fucking mess.

I was afraid of what to say or do. Would she be afraid of me? Would she want me to hug her or shake her hand? Would she be angry to leave? Would she be hurt or starved or nervous or tired?

I was driving myself insane when the front door of the office opened up. The bright light from the summer sun came streaking into the room preventing me from being able to see who had entered.

When the door finally closed again I blinked a few times readjusting to the light. It was then that I saw a woman holding the hand of a little girl.

She was absolutely the most fucking adorable, precious, cute kid I had ever seen.

I wanted to run to her and scoop her up in my arms and tell her that I couldn't get here fast enough. I heard my mother gasp quietly beside me as she stood from her seat. I followed suit as the lady smiled and walked towards us with Layla in tow.

"Hello, you must be Edward Cullen. I'm Pam Gentry. It is so nice to meet you."

I forgot for a moment how to speak but quickly recovered as my mother lightly nudged me in the side.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you too. This is my mother Esme." They both greeted one another and shook hands as I looked down and into the blue eyes of the girl standing before me.

"This is Layla. Layla can you say hello to your Uncle Edward and Grandma Esme?" Pam squatted down to be eye level with Layla so I decided to do the same. My mother quickly joined in as well until all three of us were level with the five year old, who looked nervous as could be.

She looked down at her raggedy old Chuck Taylor shoes and whispered a "Hello" almost impossible to hear. I examined her dirty blue sundress and momentarily took in the scars on her knees before holding my hand out in front of her.

She looked up, then, and in that moment I think my entire life clicked into place as a tiny hint of a smile fell across her lips and she reached forward to shake my hand.

"It's so nice to meet you Layla. I really like your shoes."

Her eyes lit up at the mention of the shoes and I internally high-fived myself for picking the perfect first topic of conversation. The feeling didn't last long as her head dropped to the floor once again and she whispered "Thank you".

I was expecting this to be difficult. This had to be scary for her. I wasn't sure what to do next, but thankfully Pam cut in.

"Layla here loves to color. Maybe Grandma Esme can take her to the coloring books and crayons over in that corner while Uncle Edward and I talk."

My mother stood, as did Pam and I, and held her hand out for Layla to take as she spoke. "Layla, I would love to color with you. Coloring is one of my favorite things to do as well."

Layla looked up and smiled at my mother who I could tell was fighting off tears as her granddaughter finally put her tiny hand inside of her own and they walked to the other side of the room.

Pam looked at me seriously. "The secretary said that you have already given her all of the signed documents. We'll sign them and have a copy faxed back over to Aro by Monday. Do you have any questions? I know this must be very overwhelming for you."

I was confused by her use of the word 'overwhelming' as I looked at her curiously.

"Overwhelming? No. Amazing? Yes. Of course, it's something new and unexpected but I've never been happier than a moment ago when I first laid eyes on that little girl. If you're concerned about my age or what you may have heard about the kind of guy I am, let me assure you that my parent's and I are going to give Layla the life she deserves. I already know that I love her more than I've ever loved anything."

Pam smiled as she put both of her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye.

"That's all I needed to hear. She's been through a lot of changes and I'm sure she will need time to come out of her shell. We weren't able to get much out of her about the details of her mother or the home she was just staying in, but maybe you can in time. Please don't hesitate to contact us for anything."

I nodded as Pam then made her way over to Layla and said her good-byes. Layla quietly said "Good-bye" and went back to coloring Cinderella's dress with a blue crayon.

After a few more minutes, my mother suggested that we go ahead and leave but assured Layla that we would stop and buy her as many coloring books as she wanted for the plane ride home.

The drive to the airport was quiet. I had gone into a corner drug store and purchased about twenty different coloring books, not sure of which she would prefer. I bought two large boxes of crayons because nothing's fucking worse than breaking one of those things in half and having to use a different color than what you were originally using because the damn thing's too small to fit in your hand.

Layla colored and colored and colored. Only nodding or shaking her head 'no' when we asked her basic questions. My mother looked concerned, but I knew it would just take time.

We boarded our plane and then finally sat in our seats. Layla sat next to me as my mother sat across the aisle where Layla could still see her. Before the plane took off, Layla looked at me and asked in the most adorable little voice, "I never rided on a plane before. Is it scary?"

I had to hold back the urge to just scoop her up into my arms and hug the shit out of her. She was too cute. Instead, I smiled as I responded to her question. "It's not scary. It's actually kind of…cool. When I was little, I used to be afraid to fly, but my big brother Emmett would hold my hand and it made me feel better."

Her little eyebrows furrowed together as if she were in deep thought. "My daddy, Emmett?"

I was taken aback as she used the word 'daddy' and shocked that she even knew who he was. I simply nodded which made her face light up with a smile as she continued.

"I never metted my daddy but my mommy told me that he loved me a lot. Where is he?"

I didn't know what to say and it broke my heart in two as she looked at me with her big hopeful eyes. I almost couldn't say it, but I knew that it was better to be honest.

"Uh, your daddy does love you a lot, but he's up in heaven now. That's why you're coming to live with me."

I wasn't sure if she would understand what I meant and I hoped that it didn't upset her. I was relieved when she smiled really big and looked up at the ceiling of the plane, as if she were looking up to heaven.

"So, he went to be with my mommy?"

I couldn't hold back the tears that began to well up in my eyes.

_Twice in one fucking day. This has to be a joke._

I held them back, knowing I had to be strong for Layla. She wasn't crying and she didn't seem sad, and I couldn't understand it. This precious little girl's mother and father were both gone and she had been living in a foster home all alone. I wanted to punch something because it wasn't fair for her to have been dealt these cards.

"Yes, he's with your mommy, and even though they can't be here with you, they watch over you all of the time."

She nodded in understanding, smiling as she said, "I know, and I'll see them again some day."

I couldn't believe the strength that this tiny being held as I watched her go back to happily coloring in her dinosaur coloring book. I was left in awe the rest of the plane ride home.

Layla had fallen asleep on the car ride from the airport to my parent's house. I dropped my mother off and she assured me that her and my father would come over for dinner as soon as he got home from the hospital.

After carrying Layla up to my room and laying her in my bed, I gently removed her shoes and tucked her in. I watched her for a few moments as she quietly began to snore.

I couldn't believe how much my life had changed in just hours. I was no longer accountable for only myself; I now had Layla to care for. She was the only thing keeping me from heading down to the kitchen and pouring myself a glass of bourbon. She was the only thing keeping me from trying to escape myself.

I turned to walk out of the room, but tripped over Layla's shoes. The moment I saw her wearing them in New York, they reminded me of Bella. They were the only two girls I knew who wore sundresses with sneakers, and the only two girls that I had ever truly cared for.

As I walked down the stairs and on to my back porch to watch as the sun began to set over Lake Michigan, I did as Layla had done earlier and looked up into the sky towards heaven and just hoped that somehow, somewhere Emmett knew that his little girl was safe and sound with me.

I then imagined myself having the balls to tell Bella every deep, dark secret from my past and how much I had already changed in the few days I had known her. I wanted her to meet Layla and I wanted to start living my life with the two of them.

I took a deep breath, and for the first time in three dark months, maybe even my entire life, I was truly hopeful for the future.

**A/N**

**Check out my profile for a picture of Layla. She's too damn cute. Reviews buy her a new, clean pair of Chuck's. Yes, I just dealt you the guilt card. Is it working?**


	7. Chapter 7 Blood, Sweat and Baggage

This chapter took a little longer than the rest. I am _so_ damn close to graduation, which is a good thing for us all because that means more free time to write. Stick with me.

Luinvinial is my savior. Without her, this story would be close to sucky.

SM owns it all. Lucky girl.

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**Chapter 7: Blood, Sweat and Baggage**

**BPOV**

Four days. It had been four long, dreadful, infuriating days since I had seen or spoken to Edward.

I tried to convince myself that he was either lying in a coma somewhere or simply suffering from amnesia due to a blunt head injury he's received during his trip to New York on Saturday, but I knew better.

He was purposely avoiding me.

My head began to throb as I thought about it. I wasn't sure if the migraine was a result of the concussion or from the constant state of worry, stress and anxiety over Edward's absence I had subjugated myself to over the past four days.

I decided as I walked to the kitchen and grabbed my Ibuprofen from atop of the microwave that it didn't matter. I shook three pills out of the bottle, into my hand, then into my mouth before leaning forward in the sink and tipping my mouth directly under the faucet. As I let the water fill my mouth, I closed my eyes and tried to forget my current condition.

Here I was, acting like a girl that had just been abandoned by her long-time boyfriend, when in reality I was nothing to Edward, and he owed me absolutely none of his time.

_Why do I care so much?_

I headed to my bedroom and began rummaging through the endless bags of clothing that Alice had brought me the day before. She thought that clothes would help relieve the pain of Edward's absence, but little did she know. Clothes did nothing for me.

I grabbed a pair of jean shorts, then pulled my secret stash of clothes from back home out from underneath my bed. I snatched out an old plaid button-up and threw them both on before sliding into my Chuck's. Picking up my neck brace from the nightstand, I quickly tossed it into the corner of my room. I refused to wear it another day.

I was putting my wallet and sunglasses into my old purse when my cell phone began to ring in the other room. I ran to answer it, ignoring the pain in my head from the sudden movement.

"Hello?"

"_Are you on your way yet? You know I only have an hour lunch break." _I rushed back into my room and grabbed my purse before heading toward the door as I spoke to Alice.

"Yes, I'm leaving now. I'll meet you in front of Bloomingdale's in five minutes."

"_Okay. I'll be the girl in green with an annoyed expression on her face."_

"Bye, Alice."

I burst through the front doors of my building and down the stoop onto the sidewalk just as a cab was driving by. Thankfully, I got the driver's attention, but ended up stumbling over a crack in the walk and landing directly onto my knees.

I hurriedly got up and entered the vehicle, waving off the driver's questions of concern for my well being. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could stop me from meeting Alice on time. My bloody knees would have to wait.

I could see Alice in her green dress sporting the annoyed look on her face she had promised as the cab pulled in in front of the department store. I handed the driver some wadded up cash and thanked him before exiting the car and rushing towards Alice.

"Jesus, Bella. What did you do to your knees?"

I rolled my eyes as I grabbed Alice by the hand and pulled her into the store.

"Don't worry about it. We're here to find the perfect outfit for your date with Jasper Friday night."

"Correction: The sexiest, classiest, make-Jasper-want-to-ravage-me-in-the-bathroom-of-the-restaurant outfit."

I laughed as Alice led me down the aisle and toward the clothing department.

"Could you go clean yourself up? I would like to show my face here again," Alice joked as she pointed me towards the restroom. I saluted her before making my way down the aisle. Just as I was about to reach the door to the bathroom, a little girl ran right into my legs and fell to the ground.

"Oh, no! Are you okay, sweetie? Here. Let me help you up." I reached down and pulled her to her feet and noticed her old Chuck's. It instantly made me smile.

"I love your shoes. I have a pair of my own." I lifted my foot and wiggled it around.

She giggled and did the same as she so sweetly replied, "Thank you."

I looked around quickly, not seeing any worried parents or grandparents searching desperately for the adorable little girl, so I decided I should take her to the front of the store to have them announce her name over the loud speaker.

I squatted down to be eye level with the child and could finally see just how precious she was. Her long blonde hair was messily strewn across her face and her purple dress hung loosely on her tiny body.

"What's your name? I'm Bella."

As soon as I said it, her eyes lit up and a smile as big as her face graced her lips. She started jumping up and down as she spoke.

"I'm Layla. You're Bella? The real Bella?"

I wasn't sure what she meant so I just nodded my head and smiled. She grabbed me by the hand and began pulling me towards the children's department of the store. Just as we made it to the toy section, too quick for me to even process, a man swooped down and pulled Layla into his arms.

I instantly recognized the hair, followed by the scent and I was suddenly more confused than I'd ever been before.

Edward turned and placed Layla back down on her feet, his back to me. He squatted down and held Layla's face in his hands as he spoke to her.

"Layla, you can't just walk away from me without telling me where you're going. I was so scared. Please don't do that again, okay?"

Her bottom lip began to quiver as she looked down at the ground. Edward hurriedly pulled her into a hug and assured her that she wasn't in trouble.

She sniffed as he released her from his grasp. She rubbed her eyes and then pointed toward me as she spoke.

"I found the girl you talk about in your sleep, Uncle Eddie."

Uncle? The girl he talks about in his sleep? Eddie?

I panicked a little as Edward stood and slowly turned his body to face me. When his eyes met mine, the anger I felt toward him for avoiding me for the past four days immediately vanished. In that moment, all I could think about was the way he was looking at me.

"Bella," he said, his eyes then traveling down my body slowly, and I almost cried out in joy as he studied me. When his eyes met my knees, though, his face twisted in horror.

"What happened to you?"

I cursed my previous clumsiness for ruining this moment before responding to his question.

"Well, uh…I fell."

Layla then stepped forward and leaned down to put her face directly in front of my wounds. Edward and I glanced at each other quickly and held back our laughter as Layla acted as though she were a doctor inspecting my injuries.

"I think Bella needs surshury," she said seriously.

Edward stifled another laugh as he crouched down to inspect my knees as well.

"Surgery? Yes, Dr. Layla. I think you may be right."

A million things were going through my head. I wanted to walk away and act as if Edward meant nothing to me like he had been doing to me the past four days. I wanted to jab my bloody knee directly into the center of his beautiful face. I wanted to put my arms around him and hold him close, asking him to never leave me again.

I wanted, more than anything, to understand what the hell we were doing.

"Well, I better go clean up and find Alice. She'll kill me if I waste valuable shopping time. It was so nice to meet you, Layla."

Layla gave me a little wave and I smiled in return before turning away and continuing toward the restroom.

"Bella, wait!"

I stopped dead in my tracks and slowly turned to see Edward with Layla on his hip, jogging towards me.

He stopped in front of me and asked, "Can I see you tonight?"

I wasn't sure if I could handle getting any closer to Edward if it meant he'd only walk away and forget about me later on. I already felt so much for him, and I barely knew him. If I was being honest with myself, he scared the shit out of me. He made me want things I always told myself I would never have. He was the only person that could make the loneliness go away, but when he wasn't around, I felt more lonely than I could ever imagine.

"Sure. Pick me up at eight." I smiled at Layla once more before looking Edward in the eye. He seemed relieved at my answer and I knew I needed to turn away now before I lost myself in his stare.

I finally made it to the ladies room and cleaned the dried blood from my knees with toilet paper and water. I found Alice with at least fifteen different dresses thrown over her arm as she looked through the racks of clothing in the women's section.

"There you are. I was beginning to think they kicked you and your bloody knees out of here."

I took the dresses from Alice's arm, allowing her more hand leverage for browsing the racks, as I spoke. "I just ran into Edward and his niece, Layla. He's coming to pick me up at eight tonight. He looked even more perfect than I remembered. Please, tell me what it is _he_ wants from _me_. How am _I_ worth _his_ time?"

Alice's eyes were studying me as I spoke. She wrapped her hand around my bicep and pulled me over to the dressing room. She led us into an empty space and closed the door behind us.

"Bella, sit." I sat.

"Listen to me." I listened.

"We all know Edward is gorgeous, well-mannered, rich, mysterious, funny, and wow, the kid just has it all." I rolled my eyes.

"He can have any girl he wants, easily, and here he is trying to spend time with you. He's not stupid, Bella. He clearly sees how amazing, beautiful and interesting you are. You're certainly better than any other girl he's ever dated. Stop questioning it and just enjoy it! Life's too short to spend alone. It's about time you let someone in. Oh, and he doesn't have a niece. So, I don't know about that."

As Alice finished her speech, she began undressing and then trying on each dress. She would examine herself in the mirror for about a minute before switching into another outfit.

I sat there, dumbfounded, wondering how I had gone from the cool, calm, collected girl I had always been to a girl who couldn't even spend a moment in a guy's presence without having a mini nervous breakdown inside.

Maybe Alice was right, I needed to stop overanalyzing Edward and just start enjoying him.

"That's the one. You look perfect, Alice!" I said as I stood next to her as she observed herself in the mirror. We smiled at each other through the reflection. There was no need to apologize or thank her. She knew.

"You think so?" she asked as she turned and studied the backside of the dress.

I nodded and she squealed. She turned toward me to wrap her arms around my neck and I hugged her back, excited that she was getting her chance with Jasper. After years of silently standing by, hoping he would notice her, she finally took it into her own hands at the party Saturday and asked him out. He couldn't hold back his ecstatic smile as he accepted.

Alice was one her way to love. Maybe I was, too.

It was silent in Edward's car as he drove me to a yet to be disclosed location.

I could feel sweat forming on my forehead and in the palms of my hands as my nerves consumed me, turning me into a disgusting mess on my very first date with Edward.

I ran the back of my hand across my forehead as discretely as I could, wanting to reach forward and turn the air conditioner on, but deciding against it. I silently wondered how the hell he wasn't hot. It had to be ninety degrees outside.

_Dammit._

The car thermometer read seventy-five when I glanced at it, then quickly averted my stare out the window. Now I knew it was just me.

"Are you okay, Bella? Do you want the air conditioner on?" Edward thankfully broke the silence. Unfortunately it meant that he'd noticed my obvious perspiring problem.

I decided to give in, knowing I would only look worse if I allowed myself to burn up for any longer.

"Please, as high as it will go."

He tried not to laugh as he quickly turned on the max AC and adjusted all of the vents so that they were blowing toward me.

"Okay, okay, that's good. Thanks," I grumbled.

The fact that he was hiding a smile was apparent, and I didn't think things could get any more embarrassing.

Apparently I was wrong.

"Are you wearing two different heels?" Edward asked, forcing me to snap my head in the direction of his stare. Sure enough, I was wearing one black pump and one obviously not black pump.

"Wow. This isn't really happening," I mumbled as I slipped the bright blue high heel off of my foot and examined it closely.

"I can understand mixing up black and navy blue, but that is the brightest blue I've ever seen," Edward laughed as he turned the car into a housing development that was blocked off by a large gate.

I took my other shoe off as well as I said, "I hope you don't mind me being barefoot for the rest of the night. I clearly suffer random intervals of color blindness."

"I don't mind at all," He smiled as he rolled down his window and flashed a keycard under a little box that then opened the gate.

"Where is it you're taking me, Mr. Cullen?" I asked as we made our way down the perfectly paved roadway with equally perfect yards and large houses on either side.

"Actually, I'm taking you to my house. I know it's not typically the place to bring a lady on the first date, but I figured you wouldn't mind, considering we've already kissed. We're not technically playing by the rules it seems."

I knew I wouldn't be able to hide the blush spreading across my cheeks as I smiled and continued examining all of the beautiful houses. The excitement building in me was palpable as we drove further and further into the neighborhood. I couldn't believe I was about to see Edward's home. I couldn't believe he was allowing me this private glimpse into his life.

The houses became scarcer until we finally made it to the end of the road and turned left down a long blacktop driveway. At first, I couldn't see the house, a large amount of trees blocking my view, but as he pulled closer, I could finally see it.

I gasped, but quickly tried to hide it with a clearing of the throat. From the corner of my eye I could see Edward watching me as he put the car in park. He exited the vehicle and then broke out in a run as he tried to open my door for me. I beat him to it, of course, and he rolled his eyes as I stood and closed the door behind me.

"This place is amazing, Edward. I already love it."

He took me by the hand and led me to the front door. As we entered, I vaguely heard Edward telling me to take a look around as he walked away from me. I couldn't take my eyes off of what was before me.

Through the back windows I could see a little table with candles, place settings and two chairs. Beyond that was Edward's backyard, which consisted of a small sandy beach and Lake Michigan. It looked absolutely breathtaking with the sun beginning to set. I walked out the back sliding door and made my way to the table.

"Go ahead and take a seat."

I was startled as I turned to find Edward walking onto the back deck with two plates full of food in his hands. I sat as he put a plate in front of me and then put the other at his seat. He tried to light the candles but the light breeze kept blowing them out. He tried a few more times but finally yelled, "Fuck it!" as the wind continued to make his efforts futile.

He sat across from me and we both began to dig in. We talked about his house as he explained that he and Emmett had drawn up the plans for it a few years back. He told me about how he fished almost every weekend on an old boat a man down the road sold to him. He talked about how his mom decorated everything except for his bedroom and how much he enjoyed cooking.

"Wow that was delicious. You definitely need to give me the recipe for that cornbread," I said as we finished up.

"I'll show you how to make it whenever you want," was his reply.

I smiled as I stood to take my plate inside. He jumped up from his chair and hurriedly grabbed it from me and added, "My house, my rules, kid."

He took the dishes inside and when he came back out, I decided to ask him something I had wanted to ask him all day.

"Edward, is Layla Emmett's daughter? I know she called you uncle but you've never mentioned her before."

He stood for a moment, unmoving and unreadable before holding out his hand for me to take. I placed my hand in his as he pulled me to my feet.

"Yes. Layla is Emmett's daughter. The reason I hadn't mentioned her is because I didn't even know she existed until last week."

I listened, masking my overzealous curiosity as I waited for him to elaborate. He led us down the stairway and onto the beach before he continued.

"Saturday, when I told you I went to New York to help my mom with some stuff, we were actually picking up Layla from child services. She'd been living in a foster home for a while. We had no clue about her and I believe that Emmett didn't either. I'm the power of attorney in Emmett's will, so immeadiately after our lawyer was notified about Layla's existence, she was in my custody. The only reason I haven't been around in the past few days is because I didn't want to freak you out with this whole thing."

I stopped while Edward continued walking. Once he realized I wasn't next to him, he turned and came to stand by me with a concerned look on his face.

"I know you're probably confused and rather pissed off that I seem to have a shitload of baggage, but I swear to you, Bella, underneath it all there's something in me that's worth sticking around for. I want to tell you everything." He grabbed both of my hands in his as he spoke and I couldn't help but smile as I responded.

"Edward, I don't give a shit about your baggage. We all have a past. I can handle anything because I _know _you're worth sticking around for. Nothing you tell me will scare me away or make me think any less of you."

He placed his hand on my cheek and the way that the moonlight was reflecting off of the water and across his face was almost enough to steal my breath. He looked so beautiful, so perfect, as he let his hand slowly drift down my neck and across my collarbone.

"Where should I start?" he asked as he took hold of my hand and pulled me down to the sand to sit next to him.

"Tell me about Emmett."

He glanced off into the distance across Lake Michigan as a smile graced his face. A real, genuine smile that I knew could only be caused by the thought of his older brother. He exhaled, turned toward me and began.

**A/N**

**We are finally getting somewhere, kids! Edward and Bella are about to open the hell up to each other. Not completely, of course, but somewhat.**

**Bella's outfit is on my profile, as well as Edward's lakeside home.**

**I'm not going to lie, reviews will not bring you a home cooked meal from Edward or a stroll on the beach. Reviews simply aid my personal need to be assured that readers like my shit. Yes, I am sort of pathetic.**


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